After suiting up against the Los Angeles Kings, John Carlson officially passed Nicklas Backstrom for second on the Washington Capitals’ all-time games list. The contest was Carlson’s 1,106th of his career.
Carlson was honored at Capital One Arena for the accomplishment and got a special shoutout from one of his closest friends.
“Hey, John, just want to say congrats on passing me in games played in Washington Capitals history,” Nicklas Backstrom said in a taped statement. “What an accomplishment. You’re a hell of a player, a hell of a guy. Just keep it going. You look good out there. I’ve been watching you from Sweden. Love you, buddy.”
Washington Capitals all-time games played leaders
| Player | GP |
|---|---|
| Alex Ovechkin | 1,509 |
| John Carlson | 1,106 |
| Nicklas Backstrom | 1,105 |
| Calle Johansson | 983 |
| Peter Bondra | 961 |
| Kelly Miller | 940 |
| Dale Hunter | 872 |
| Tom Wilson | 853 |
| Michal Pivonka | 825 |
| Mike Gartner | 758 |
While Backstrom has been watching in Sweden, Carlson has been keeping tabs on his former teammate on social media and online. Though he admitted he needed help from Rasmus Sandin to get past the language barrier.
So far this season, Backstrom has 15 points (2g, 13a) in 20 appearances. He also recently made an appearance at the 2025 NHL Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden, as the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins played two games against each other on November 14 and 16.
